The Chicago Bears were on the clock this offseason with the #1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. With that pick, the Bears decided to select QB Caleb Williams from USC. However, this came at a cost.
That cost was deciding to move off of their other quarterback, Justin Fields. As a result, the Bears traded Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since then, Bears GM Ryan Poles has revealed that he believes Williams can take the Bears to a level Fields simply cannot.
Ryan Poles Believes Chicago Bears Will “Win Because Of” Caleb Williams
Recently, Poles was asked why the Bears ended up selecting Caleb Williams in the NFL Draft rather than running it back with Justin Fields. According to Ben Devine, Poles revealed that he believed Williams is a quarterback you can “win because of” in the NFL.
Along with this, Poles added this type of quarterback is rare in the NFL. It is safe to assume Poles did not believe Fields would ever be a quarterback the Bears could win because of.
Looking Back at Justin Fields’ Career
So, is Poles’ belief of Fields not being a quarterback Chicago can “win because of” legitimate? When you look at Fields’ career record, you can argue the answer is yes. He is just 10-28 in the first three seasons of his career.
During Fields’ career, his completion percentage is just over 60%. He also has 40 career touchdown passes with 30 interceptions. On top of this, the Bears have not made the playoffs since the year before Fields got drafted by Chicago.
Chicago Bears Moving Forward
Despite the Bears finishing just 7-10 last season, it is fair to believe they are in good shape entering the 2024 season. Two big reasons for that are drafting QB Caleb Williams and WR Rome Odunze with their two first-round picks. Odunze will join veteran wide receivers Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore on the team.
As mentioned above, Poles is confident that Williams can take the Bears to a new level. He is arguably one of the most highly anticipated quarterbacks to enter the NFL in recent memory.
He certainly made a name for himself at USC. Williams thrived in Lincoln Riley’s offense at both Oklahoma and USC. As a result, he made enough NIL money to live in a penthouse in the Los Angeles area while he was still in college. Now, he is looking to do bigger and better things for the Bears.
